Plug receptacle



BYI/Wfnvn/ ATTORNEY' March 30, 1937. c. l. SMITH PLUG RECEPTACLE Filed Mrch 11,` 1955 3 3 4 n m 2 7 ./p HG .m W/ HHH W 7 H n H1 M M m w wl ulfm 2. m PI, .3, L 6.. m a* vs www Ml n@ F m I A n 1 n M M n W .L IJ w l Hl A@ m w m @www IVENTR.

Patented Mar. 30, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PLUG RECEPTACLE Application March 11, 1935, Serial No. 10,384

7 Claims.

'I'his invention relates to plug receptacles for convenience wall outlets and particularly to that type of such receptacles which are suitable for mounting in an outlet box attached thereto by means of a plate to which said receptacle is fastened. v

It is a particular object of the present invention to provide a receptacle of compact design and special construction for use in connection with wall plates and gang boxes. Y

It is another object of the invention to provide a receptacle of -this type having end terminals in order to permit it to be mounted in an outlet box and a plurality of such receptacles to be a mounted side by side in a single box aswell as in a multiple gang box.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a fully closed receptacle having a body of a single piece of insulating material covered by a plate of similar material.

With these and other objects invview the invention provides a receptacle whichis extremely simple in construction, easy to manufacture at a very reasonable price and which facilitates its assembly into gangs with other wiring devices. The invention will be better understood from the description to follow taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which- Fig. 1 is' a front elevation of the improved receptacle. 1

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of an open receptacle shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation on line 4 4 of Fig. 1. 3a Fig. 5 is an end elevation of Fig. 3 from the right.l

Fig. 6 is a perspective detail of a contact member. f Fig. '1 is a perspective view showing the receptacle assembled on a wall plate partly in section.

Referring to the drawing, I0 represents a caslng of insulating material, preferably of molded phenolic compound. This casing consists o1 parallel side plates |0I and end plates |02 comprising a rectangle as shown in Fig. 3 and closed by front plate |03 to form a casing open at its rear. The central part of the casing is occupied by a post |04 integral with plate |03 and extending through the casing with end-face spaced a short distance from the rear face of the casing formed by plates |0| and |02 and parallel thereto. Between the two end plates |02 and on opposite sides of post I 04 extend two flat brace bars |01 from each end plate perpendicular thereto to opposite sides of post l0. These bars have their rear faces on a plane with that of post I 04 and their front faces about midway'of end plates IOI. Each bar |01 hase-slot |08 formed therein byan oiset-at the face of one of the plates |0I. f A similar slot |,I0 ,isformed by a ledge at diagonally opposite corners of side plate |0| (see Fig. 3). At the same corners of the casing, rectangular openings I I2 areprovided in end plates |02 which extend from the rear end of these plates towards the; frontthereof.-

On the outside of the end plates, tubular bosses I I3 are provided which extend from the front face of plate |03 rearwardly beyondthe middle 1*'5 of plates |02. From thefront face yof plate |03 projects a short octagon portion |I4 and from the face thereof a rectangular portion II5. Thisvr rectangular portion is centrally subdivided into two smaller rectangles I6 each provided with a slot ||1 located adjacent vto opposite sides of post |04. Slots ||1 extend only through the portion 4 of the front plates; the other portion of the front openings being hopper shaped. Each of the ,two hoppers has curved inclined faces sloping towards slots II1. Within this above described casing of a single piece'of insulating material are accommodated two contact and terminal supports |20 shownin Fig. 6.V They consist of a short rectangular metallic bar |20 provided witha terminal-screw I2| having its head on the outsidethereof and an angularly bent flat contact spring |22 riveted thereto onthe insideV and extending perpendicularlyy from support |20 to one side thereof. f Terminal support |20 is inserted into casing I0 from the rear by sliding its ends into slots |08 and I I0 Vwhereby the heads of terminal screws |2| come into openings I|2 of end plates |02 and the free ends of springs |22 lean against llat sides I I8 of part |04. When ter- 40 mina] supports |20 are assembled in casing |0 a closure plate |23 is placed into the rear opening formed by side plates |0| and end plates |02. This plate leans against the rear faces of post I 04, bars |01 and terminal supports |20. It is fas- 45 tened to the casing by a central screw |24 threaded into post |04.

Fig. 7 shows the above described receptacle assembled on a wall plate |25 provided with an opening II9 into which fits the rectangular front 50 portion II5 of the receptacle and the two opposite sides of the Octagon portion II4 which are a continuation of the short sides of the rectangular part t against the sides of ribs |26 of the wall plate while front plate |03 leans against 55 plication how the particular formnof'th'e fronti l of this vreceptacle cooperates with means on the wall plate to align it thereon directly withoutu In addi- Y tion thereto, the special combination of 'elements the use of intermediate aligning means.

in their relative positions produces an extremely small and compact plug receptacle ci, thalbox type which not only may be mounted on a bridge.

plate for connection to a Wall plate and outlet box but which permits the mounting of a plu-v rality of such receptacles on the same wallplateg and in the same outlet box of standard size.`

Whue this device has been illustrated-inl onlyt one form it is adaptable to many modi'cationsl l in its details of construction, in View of which it is to be understood that the claims arej to be construed and the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the claims and not by the illus-v trated embodiment. Y

I claim:v 1. 'In a device of the kind described, the combination of a substantially rectangular' bxelike' casing having relatively thin side walls, end walls@ and a front Wall, a central post integral with said front wall, a division wall extending from each end wall to the central post, said walls being oirset with respect to each other, terminal supports adjacent and parallel to each end Wall each'ex-v tending from one division wall to one side Wall intersecting the plane of the second divisionwall and having a terminal withinv an aperture of 40 the adjacent end plate.

2. In a device of the kind described in combination a substantially rectangular'casing having parallel side Walls and end Walls,a` front wall in.

tegral with said other wallshaving a central post e5 thereon, a pair of parallel division walls joining said end Walls to each other and tosaid-post forming two outer compartments along saidside walls and two innercompartments betweenvsaid post and end Walls, a slot -formed'- in each division mounted in said slots. i

3. In a device ofthe kinddescribed, a casing rectangular'in plan'having pairs of parallel -en-V closing walls integral with each other, a' perfofv rated face plate adapted'toreceive a` pairoi con-l nection plug prongs therethrough, acentral 'post extending from said face plate into said casing,-

Wall vat opposite end walls parallel thereto; asecond slot formed in'each side wall inI alignment with said rstslot and a contactl support slidably a pair of division walls spaced from said face plate joining said post to one pair of opposite sidewalls of said casing dividing said casing into two central and twoouter compartments along the second pair of side Walls, a contact support extending from each inner compartment into one of the outer compartments holding a contact springin said inner compartment and .a 4terminal in' said outer compartment.

4. In a device of the kind described, a casing p rectangular in plan having pairs of parallel enclosing plates integral with each other, a perforatedr face plate adapted to receive a pair of connection plug prongs therethrough, a central post extending from said face plate into said casing,

a pair of brace bars spaced from said face plate joining said post to one pair of opposite sides of said lcasing 'and dividing said casing into two centraland two outer compartments along the second pair of parallel plates, a contact spring in each Acentral compartment and a terminal d:in

each outer compartment adjacent diagonally 'op-v positecorners of said casing.Y Vl5. In a device of the kind described, a casinghaving aV front plate and relatively thinfenclosing` walls adapted for attachment in multiple-to a single'gang Wall plate, a plurality of parallel interior compartments in said casing all having full size openings -through the rear of said casing' one pair of said compartments enclosing contact members and another pair accommodating terminal connectors at diagonally opposite corners of said casing. 1

6. In a device of the kind described, a casing having a front plate, a central post, and relatively thin enclosing walls forming a hollow rectangle adapted for attachment to awall platea pair of parallel division walls connecting 'opposite out-v side walls and'saidpost forming two- ,pairs'of compartments in said casing, one pair of saidcompartments enclosing Contact lmembers and anotherpair' accommodating terminal connectorslr atdiagonallyl opposite corners of said casing.

7. `Ina" device oithe kind described, a box-like casinghaving 'a `face plate and enclosing wall plates integralwitheach other and -With said face plate,'a post onsaid face plate for mounting a rearplate,'a pair of division walls joining one pair ofopposite end walls to each other and to said post forming three compartments along-each one of the end walls joined to saidpost, a contact spring in each middle compartment, terminal screws in diagonally opposite spaces of "the outer` compartments'and a `pair of terminal strapse'ach holding one of said Contact springs and one loff' said terminal screws andguides formed on said division Walls to align said terminal straps on the'I inn'erface of saidfjoinedisidesofthe casing;

.CHRISTQPHER. 1- SMTH- 

